The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1887-03-10
OUR wAsHIN GTON LETTER.

Special Correspondence of THE NEWS
WASHINGTON, d. c., March :, 81
The past week las been a memora-
BILE one at the national capital. Sell
dom indeed has the general public man.
ifested as active interest in the pro
ceedings of congress and seldom, if ever,
has congress accomplished SO much
in a single week. Upon the session on
Monday but two of the fourteen gen
eral appropriation bills had been finally
disposedof andseveral of those awaiting
action had not been reported from the
committees, and the prospect of an eX-
ira session was looked upon as beyond
the range of conjecture. Whatever
may have been said against the 49th
congress as a legislative body, and
however deserving may have been the
censureS which it has received from
press or public during the early days of
the session, it must be admitted that
the spirit of activity displayed by con-
gress during the last four or five days
of its existence, should be con-
sidered in mitigation of judgment,
even by its most severe critic, as one
after another of the appropriation
bills, and other important measures
which were looked upon as likely to
necessitate the calling of an extra ses-
sion vanished. 1t is true that the
country may not be pleased with the
way in which some of the important
measures have been disposed of, but it
is equally certain that the members of
congress many of whom have been re-
elected, regard the escape from an eX-
ira session with great satisfaction.
The night sessions were attended by
great numbers of people, who crowded
the galleI les and blocked the cOrri-
doris.
As under the provisions of the inter
state commerce bill, which goes into
effect upon the first day of April, rail
road companies are prohibited from
carrying passengers for less than their
schedule rates, and hence the public
will be deprived of the advantages and
the railroad companies the profits here
tofore enjoyed in the way of cheap eX-
cursions. The companies appear to
have determined to make the most of
the time afforded them and all, as of
one mind, seem to have determined to
give an excursion to the national cap
ital. Hence excursion parties have
continued to arrive daily, until the city
is filed with strangers and the hotel
accommodations have been taxed to
their utmost limit. 1t is estimated
that there are at the present time up
ward of 1000 eXcursioniStS from the
state of New York in the city, while
the state of Ohio. Pennsylvania and
the New England states are well rep
resented.
If President Cleveland were deter
mined to make himself as unpopular
as possible among the property owners
and business men of the District of
Columbia, especially among members
of his own party he could in no way have
more effectuaily accomplished his OBJ
ject than by the course which he has
pursued with reference to the appoint
ment of a recorder of deeds for the
District of Columbia. The Opposion to
the nomination CT Mr.. Trotter, the
colored appointee from Massachusetts,
to the office seems to be even more
general among the democrats
than among the republicans.
After the senate's action in twice re-
jecting the nomination of Matthews
upon the ground that he was not a res
ident of the district, it was generally
believed that in the case of Mr.. Trot-
ter, against whom could be urged the
same objection. the senate would repeat
It's action. In view of this fact. and of
the adverse report upon the nOmina-
ton, submitted to the senate by the
district committee of the senate. the
confirmation of the nomination by the
senate upon the last day of the session
may be said to constitute the most COM
plete surprise of the recent session OF
congress. 1t is said that the change OF
| front by the republican senators WAS
due to the statement made by the SEN
ators from Massachusetts, that a rejec-
ton would result in loss to the party
of the entire cOlored vote of the state